**Chapter 95: The Magic Hunt Festival Begins**
The day of the Magic Hunt Festival had arrived, blessed with clear skies and perfect hunting weather. The chosen venue for the event was a vast plain located on the eastern side of the Royal Capital, known as the Subnock Plains. This expansive area was infamous within the kingdom as a prime habitat for magical beasts.
As a direct territory of the royal family, the plains were situated not far from the capital. In the past, there had been several attempts to cultivate the land for agriculture. However, each time, the efforts were thwarted by the magical beasts that claimed the central area as their territory—the formidable Subnock. As long as one did not intrude upon their domain, the Subnocks posed no danger, leading to the current practice of culling magical beasts along the outer edges of the plains.
“Listen up, everyone. This year’s Magic Hunt Festival will take place within the designated areas that were distributed beforehand. Please, do not venture too far into the depths of the plains,” a teacher cautioned the students lined up at the entrance.
Approximately two hundred students stood in formation, mostly from the Magic Department and Knight Department, with a few from the Priest Department. Participation was voluntary, so there were fewer first-year students, as many third-years aimed to secure better job placements through their performance in the festival.
Notable figures from the kingdom had also come as guests to the festival. Inside a large tent set up a short distance from the lined-up students were the Chief Court Magician and the Captain of the Knights, both responsible for national defense. Achieving good results in the festival could catch their attention. While there were years when the king or the crown prince would attend, this year was different. The presence of the second prince, Andrew, meant that both the king and the crown prince were exercising restraint; the loss of two royal family members in a single incident would shake the very foundation of the nation.
“Especially if you wander too far into the plains, you will enter the territory of the Subnocks and their minions. Please, do not take unnecessary risks. If you find yourself in danger, use the distress signals provided to everyone. Rescue teams will be dispatched immediately. Every year, there are fatalities and serious injuries during the Magic Hunt Festival. Do not let your guard down,” the teacher concluded.
With the briefing over, the Magic Hunt Festival commenced. Participants broke into groups of three to five and entered the plains.
“Well then… let’s get to work,” Andrew, the Student Council President, clapped his hands and called to the members of the council.
Rest, along with the other council members, stood a little distance away from the participants at the operations tent.
“Committee members, please begin your tasks behind the scenes. The Executive Committee will maintain close communication with the teachers and assist in rescuing anyone in need. Even though the Magic Hunt Festival is a voluntary event with personal responsibility… let’s do our utmost to ensure no one dies!”
“““““Yes!”””””
“Alright, let’s go. I wish you all good luck!”
At Andrew’s command, Rest and the others sprang into action. Rest turned to Viola and Primula, raising his hand to wave goodbye.
“Alright, you two. I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah, do your best, Rest!”
“Please don’t overdo it… be careful.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll come back safe and sound. I’m off now.”
Viola and Primula would be working behind the scenes as committee members, while Rest was assigned to the rescue team as part of the Executive Committee. The rescue teams operated in small squads of five, so of course, he had teammates.
“Alright, first-year. Over here,” called the team leader, a second-year from the Knight Department.
He was tall and somewhat slender, with a decent face, though his sharp gaze marred his otherwise handsome features.
“Let me introduce myself… I’ll be leading Team E, Jack Yuglute, second-year Knight Department.”
Jack Yuglute was a third-ranked student in the second year, renowned for his spear skills. Despite being only in his second year, he was already considered a strong candidate for the royal guard.
Gathered under Yuglute’s command were four first-year students: Rest from the Magic Department, Danira and another from the Knight Department, and a student from the Priest Department.
“Let me make this clear… my orders are absolute on the field. The word ‘No’ is not permitted, so keep that in mind!”
“Understood.”
“Tch…”
Rest nodded obediently, while Danira wore a disgruntled expression. He felt like telling him to be more amiable, considering he was a senior from his own department.
“If you have complaints, you can wait here. In the knight order, the orders of superiors are everything. I’m the captain for this operation, so I won’t take any soldiers who can’t follow orders.”
“…I’ll follow. I have no complaints.”
Danira reluctantly raised his hands in surrender.
“If you have no complaints, let’s get moving. We’re assigned to the area around the entrance of the plains. It’s relatively safe, but there are no guarantees in battle. Stay alert!”
Even though they were part of the Executive Committee, Rest and the others were still first-year students, assigned to a relatively safe area.
“Alright, let’s go. Departing now!”
Following Yuglute’s command, Rest and his team entered the plains. Despite being rescue staff, they knew that magical beasts would attack if they entered their territory. They pressed forward, ready to confront any beasts that dared to challenge them.